In the production of shredded wheat ready-to-eat cereal biscuits and shredded wheat wafers from whole grains, a plurality of shredded layers are laminated upon one other, and the laminate is cut, dockered, and baked to provide products having a distinctly visible shred pattern on their opposing major surfaces. The shreds provide visual attractiveness and a unique, crispy texture and connote a healthy, hearty, natural product. Also, the shreds provide increased surface area and deliver a robust flavor. Production of a thin, chip-like baked product from shreds would provide an attractive, flavorful, crispy, wholesome hand-to-mouth baked snack product.
The number of shred layers generally contributes substantially to the puffed, pillowed appearance of ready-to-eat cereal biscuits, and the thick, cracker-like appearance of shredded wheat wafers. The number of shred layers may range up to about 21 layers, with the larger number of sheets being reserved for larger sized biscuits as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,825 to Leibfred and U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,774 to Leibfred et al. As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,825 spoon-sized ready-to-eat cereal biscuits generally have from about 6 layers to about 12 layers. Shredded wheat wafers generally have from about 8 layers to about 12 layers as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,774.
In addition, when many or even a few shredded layers are laminated, the shred pattern of one layer does not exactly line up with the shred pattern of an adjacent layer thereby creating inter-layer voids or slight surface unevenness from layer to layer. Also, slight ripples may be present across the width of a layer. Additionally, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 548,086 to Perky, the filaments or threads discharged by means of a comb or scraper from the grooves of the shredding rolls have a sinuous form and rough or jagged exterior shape which is designed to also provide small interstices throughout the mass, which aerate and lighten the final product. The use of excessive tautness during layer deposition to substantially eliminate ripples or the sinuous form and rough exterior may result in tearing of the layer. As a result of the slight mis-alignment, and surface layer unevenness, the thickness of the laminate is generally substantially greater than the sum of the thicknesses of the individual layers prior to lamination.
Additionally, upon baking and drying of the dough-like laminate, escaping moisture and hot gases tend to separate the layers even more and contribute to a puffed or pillowed appearance or thick, cracker-like appearance , rather than a thin, chip-like appearance.
Thus, just reducing the number of shred layers does not necessarily result in a in chip-like appearance. Additionally, excessive reduction in the number of shred layers may substantially reduce the strength of the laminate and its ability to continuously undergo cutting, transferring, and packaging operations during mass production. Also, the baked product may be too light and fragile for dipping.
U.S. Pat. No. 713,795 to Perky discloses that in baking of wheat filaments it has been found that there is a tendency for the biscuit to become loose or somewhat open in its middle portion, owing to the swelling in the baking process. The loose structure, it is disclosed, is not suitable for the flattened or cracker form. It is taught that compressing the material by a mashing action, injures the filamentous structure which is responsible for the product's light and porous character. Baking irons having teeth studding their inside surfaces are used to hold the filamentous material during baking. The pressure between the points of the teeth is sufficient to cause the locking of the filaments by direct attachment to each other at regular intervals, so that the cracker will hold its form. However, the use of dockering creates a biscuit or cracker appearance rather than a thin, chip-like appearance. Also, it has been found that dockering creates dense areas which are difficult to bake out without burning or scorching of the product.
Counterrotating compression or reduction rolls are used to compress laminated raw doughs in the production of crackers. The laminate is passed through the nip of one or more pairs of smooth-surfaced rolls with each of the two major surfaces of the laminate in contact with a roll surface. The laminate undergoes compression which makes the individual shred layers in the compressed laminate and in the baked product non-discernible to the naked eye. Such extensive thickness reduction would destroy the shred pattern and filamentous appearance of a shredded laminate. Additionally, removing or lifting of a shredded laminate from its conveyer belt and passing the shredded laminate unsupported through counterrotating compression rolls would tend to result in tearing of the laminate.
Use of only a single or top roll to substantially compress a laminate against its supporting conveyer belt has been found to result in distortion of the shred pattern or sticking of the laminate to the roll. Distortion tends to occur due to relative movement between the laminate and belt, or due to substantial differences in speed between the belt and the compression roll. For example, downward pressure exerted by the compression roll upon the top surface of the laminate tends to slow or even stop the underlying, laminate-supporting conveyer belt while the speed of the compression roll is maintained substantially constant. This may cause gathering or collecting of the laminate as it enters the space between the roll and belt and distortion or destruction of the surface shred pattern.
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for producing thin, crisp shredded snacks having a substantially flat, chip-like appearance and texture. The chip-like snacks may be produced by compressing a shredded laminate to avoid the formation of a puffed or pillowed appearance of shredded ready-to-eat cereal biscuits or the thick cracker-like appearance of shredded wafers. Even though the laminate undergoes substantial compression, the substantially flat chip-like products exhibit a substantially uniform shredded, net-like appearance upon their major surfaces, and visually discernible individual shred layers. The strength of the laminate is sufficient to continuously undergo cutting, transferring, and packaging operations during mass production without tearing or breaking. The shreds provide visual attractiveness, a unique, crispy texture, and robust flavor. The baked chip-like shredded snacks are sufficiently strong for dipping into and scooping of dips or sauces without breaking. The shredded snacks may be produced continuously using conventional ready-to-eat shredded cereal shredding mills.